Hey, kids, your friends are dead!

[Micah 16]

I think this is an absolutely horrible story, especially coming from highway patrol men. First of all, this is deception coming from police officers of all people! Secondly, I would be pissed off as well... how dare someone tell me that my best friend is dead, let me go through an emotical hardship for a few hours, and then tell me it was a joke... disgusting!

And last but not least, this is the worst possible way, imo, to get a message across. I don't know how they could have done it, but any other way than this is better:

Calif. school defends DWI shock tactics

Students were told classmates had died in car wrecks — they hadn't

El Camino High School junior Michelle Molin, left, listens as school guidance counselor Lori Tauber talks on Wednesday about a program designed to scare high school students into not driving drunk.

OCEANSIDE, Calif. - On a Monday morning last month, highway patrol officers visited 20 classrooms at El Camino High School to announce some horrible news: Several students had been killed in car wrecks over the weekend.

Classmates wept. Some became hysterical.

A few hours and many tears later, though, the pain turned to fury when the teenagers learned that it was all a hoax — a scared-straight exercise designed by school officials to dramatize the consequences of drinking and driving.

As seniors prepare for graduation parties Friday, school officials in the largely prosperous San Diego suburb are defending themselves against allegations they went too far.

At school assemblies, some students held up posters that read: "Death is real. Don't play with our emotions."

'They got the shock they wanted'
Michelle de Gracia, 16, was in physics class when an officer announced that her missing classmate David, a popular basketball player, had died instantly after being rear-ended by a drunken driver. She said she felt nauseated but was too stunned to cry.

"They got the shock they wanted," she said.

Some of her classmates became extremely upset, prompting the teacher to tell them immediately it was all staged.

"People started yelling at the teacher," she said. "It was pretty hectic."

Others, including many who heard the news of the 26 deaths between classes, were left in the dark until the missing students reappeared hours later.

"You feel betrayed by your teachers and administrators, these people you trust," said 15-year-old Carolyn Magos. "But then I felt selfish for feeling that way, because, I mean, if it saves one life, it's worth it."

'We wanted them to be traumatized'
Officials at the 3,100-student school officials defended the program.

"They were traumatized, but we wanted them to be traumatized," said guidance counselor Lori Tauber, who helped organize the shocking exercise and got dozens of students to participate. "That's how they get the message."

The plan was to tell the truth to the students at an assembly later in the day. But word that it was all a hoax began to spread before the gathering. Tauber said some counselors and administrators revealed the truth to calm some students who had become upset.

Oceanside Schools Superintendent Larry Perondi said he fielded only a few calls from parents, while the PTA chapter said it had not heard any complaints. Perondi said the program would be revised, but he would not say how. And he said he was glad that students seemed to have gotten the message.

"We did this in earnest," he said. "This was not done to be a prankster.quote>

Edit: Source

[Jillybean86 38]

sad, I thought this was about the poor boy scouts when I read the headline. I was like "Micah is an insensitive ****"

But you're not, I take it back. I couldn't imagine being told my friends were dead when they weren't. Imagine the emotional rollercoaster they'd have been on

[Godzillaman 21]

Did someone say too far? Oh yes. They did...

[ilikehotdogsalot 308]

Wow. I do not know what I'd do if I was in that same situation, I'm angry enough just by reading this article. Whoever made up this joke should get fired or punishment immediately. I thought my school officials are pain, always doing annoying lectures and excercises to get 'messages across', but this is too much. Good thing I don't go to that school, I'd go a-wall.

[Voar Tok 4]

Originally posted by: ilikehotdogsalot Wow. I do not know what I'd do if I was in that same situation, I'm angry enough just by reading this article. Whoever made up this joke should get fired or punishment immediately. I thought my school officials are pain, always doing annoying lectures and excercises to get 'messages across', but this is too much. Good thing I don't go to that school, I'd go a-wall.quote>

Yeah, I agree with that.  This has got to be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of to stop drunk driving.

[Fresh Prince of Wmbg 44]

It wasnt just too far ...... that was way off! I cant belive that educated officals would do such a sickly action to teach teens a lesson. Jope my school does'nt pull a stunt like that.

[ky72x 13]

That is just plain stupid. While it is very important to get the dangers of drunk driving across to students, I don't think that they (or any school) should do something like this again.

[Meg 368]

In my day, they just towed the wrecked cars to the front of the school and left them there for a while.  some of them were pretty gruesome.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

My high school did the same thing once a year, except the kids who "died" couldn't miss school, so they were in class as usual, but wore special t-shirts and weren't supposed to interact with other students.  Their "deaths" were announced on the PA in the morning, but by a student from the organization, and I think in the first period, the teachers were supposed to explain what was happening that day.

And as you can imagine no one ever took it very seriously.

What this high school did would definitely be more effective, but I think it's a little too much, and aside from that, now everyone's forgotten about drunk driving and the event is more memorable for the outrage.

I think it would be better if they started out with an unannounced school wide assembly, a period or two before lunch, breaking the news there, then going on with the expected "counselors are available" "school will continue" "memorial bench will be built" etc. for ten or fifteen minutes, and then explain what it's about, and then watch a non-educational movie or something.

But at least that school isn't controlled by parents "protecting" their kids.  Everything was watered down and padded at my high school so that no ones parents would be be upset, and so that kids would get through the system without the school's graduation rates dropping.  My school's administrators would have never had the guts or the personal drive & dedication to do that.

[packersfan 666]

We did this at my school, no big deal, really...good way to do it, no harm, they got what they wanted...more people need to get scared straight from drinking and driving...and what's the deal with counselors after tragedies, i guess i don't let stuff crush me, guess i have a higher hope - GOD.

[ilikehotdogsalot 308]

Originally posted by: packersfan We did this at my school, no big deal, really...good way to do it, no harm, they got what they wanted...more people need to get scared straight from drinking and driving...and what's the deal with counselors after tragedies, i guess i don't let stuff crush me, guess i have a higher hope - GOD.quote>

What if someone said that your best friend got killed by a drunken driver, then a few hours later, tell you he/she is fine. Wouldn't you be a little ticked off?

[owenluby 1]

Playing with people's emotions is wrong... M'kay?

What an outrageous way to get their message across.

[City2TheMax 3]

umm... ... ... ?!!

[mightygoose 92]

personally having witnessed first hand what drunk drivers are capable of, and considering i knew that particular drunk driver i feel this is a perfectly appropriate was of getting the message across, they will remember that day for a long time, and so they should because one day, the memory of that person might be all you have....

[coolotter88 2]

yeah, I don't see how this went too far. I think it was pretty realistic and the kids shouldn't be so angry at the people who care about them.

my school did something similar last year, but they just made a whole bunch of seniors leave class and come back a couple hours later dressed as "dead" people. and this lasted for a couple days or something, and you couldn't talk to the dead and they couldn't talk back.

[GMT 389]

the idea behind it is good, and we in germany have a rather equal advertisment action going on. lotta obituaries everywhere telling x dies because he liked driving the sportive way, family y died because daddy had to drive after half a bottle of wine at the diner, z died because of whatever...

Drunk driving, speeding, not using turnlights, not paying attention to traffic and whatever "little" misbehavior you can image has grown strong in our world, not really giving a damn about it.

god, many people don't even consider some of it as "that bad"...

even though this hey, you friend died thing is a harsh way, it's worth it.

[Easy Bakes 253]

I guess they got the shock they wanted.

I dont think these kids will remember anything except they were lied to.

[Bumdark 3]

To be perfectly honest, I don't even want to think what I would've done if I'd been told my best friends had been killed, let to wallow in my pain and grief for a few hours, then suddenly told it was a hoax... I'd definately be the angriest I'd ever been in my life, for one thing. Another thing is, sadly, when I get angry... Well, most people don't literally "lose control"... I do...

There are a crapload of ways to get these messages across. Playing with people's minds and souls like this is simply barbaric and unnacceptable. Those bastards should be fired pronto.

[simzebu 19]

This is playing with people's emotions. It goes way too far. I hope every damn one of those administrators is fired, and then sued until they can't see the light of day. And those students deserve the complete ostracism that they are about to receive. If anyone I knew did this, they'd wish they were dead. That is just flat out wrong.

Originally posted by: Easy Bakes I guess they got the shock they wanted.

I dont think these kids will remember anything except they were lied to.

quote>

Exactly! They aren't going to take away a lesson about drunk driving. This will only teach contempt and distrust for authority.

Yes, seeing someone die because of drunk driving sucks. And it will most likely stop you from driving drunk. But only if it actually happens.

I never thought I'd say this, but thank God for emotional distress lawsuits.

EDIT: A lot of people seem to think that this is the same as what they did at their school, were some people dressed up like dead people and you couldn't talk to them. That's something that's acceptable, though not particularly effective. THAT ISN'T WHAT THIS WAS! Students were lead to believe that their best friends had died. They did not have any way of knowing that this was not actually true. It wasn't until word came out, or they were told by teachers because it was so hard on them, that they found out that their "friends" had purposefully deceived them. And that is unacceptable.

[Voar Tok 4]

Originally posted by: SkiGeek In my day, they just towed the wrecked cars to the front of the school and left them there for a while.  some of them were pretty gruesome.quote>

They used to do something like this at the police station in town.  After the holidays, right around the second week of January, they would have the most mangled car they could find sitting out in front with a sign up next to it with a picture of a skeleton holding some car keys and a message about not drinking and driving.

[saltandsauce 0]

fat chance they could do that to me i hate everyone at school

besides i have to use public transport anyway and it will probably stay that way

[un1 41]

That's pretty stupid... What's with that?? Make his friends cry and say, no he didn't die after all!! Strange...

[Easy Bakes 253]

Why dont they just make them go to the funerals of kids that died while drinking and driving?

Every week there has to be one some were.

[belfastuniguy 18]

I see what they were trying to do. In one respect I agree with it. Young people are some of the most careless and dangerous drivers on the road, some have little respect for the law and will willingly drive while drunk or on drugs. Many will end up dead or killing someone else. So in that respect I agree with it.

However, there are other ways and they should have been looked at before this. Though for todays teenagers somewhat immune to various displays of violence the above method was probably the best, if not in bad taste.

[Duke87 1,070]

I heard about this on the radio this morning on the way into work.

And while I can understand the logic behind "show the kids what it's like to lose someone they care about to drunk driving so they won't drive drunk", pulling a stunt like this is a really bad idea. Because it doesn't really work if it's not real. And you're not going to go and make it real (and that wouldn't work anyway). This teaches kids distrust of authority, for one thing. For another, death is one of those things you simply don't prank with. You don't lie to someone telling them that someone they know is dead. Even if you have the best of intentions, it can't turn out pretty.

Whatever stupid administrator thought this was a good idea needs to lose their job.

[Simcitymaster13 27]

ok some people got way to far to do thing now these days.

[Goldfish4209 9]

This is just absurd. Don't they do this as a form of torture? Tell you your loved ones/ family is dead? Sure, they got their shock, but they just lost their credibility and will probably never gain it back.

[Ntq€310 1]

really? Telling you that your friends and classmates are dead is a goodway to get you off drunk driving, Then telling them there alive and you expect the point not olny to get across but also for them to understand why you pulled the stunt? really? is it me or are the schools getting more and more crazy?

I mean these teenagers areant going to remember why not to drive drunk, there going to remember that a officer told them there friends died, then later after that emotional joy ride, suddenly there friend is back alive and it was all a hoax.

[Jazzmaster 716]

Heh, in my driver's ed we just watch videos about how stupid and dangerous it is to drive drunk; but I take it that's not effective enough and the statistics about those things saving thousands of lives are all wrong?  Seriously though, geeze, who does that?  That's got to be the meanest thing I've ever heard of to get a message across.

[Deionn 137]

I would been pissed and fightin'! You don't tell no one there friends are dead! Jackasses.